Solomon’s fame is now beginning to spread, not only his fame but also his relationship with the Lord. He was famous because of his great wealth and the wisdom he got from the Lord, 1 Kings 3:7-12.
His fame reached the ears of the Queen of Sheba, 1 Kings 10:1 / 2 Chronicles 9:1, who was possibly from southern Arabia, Egypt or Ethiopia, 2 Chronicles 9:1-12 / Matthew 12:42.
She came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, 1 Kings 10:1 / 2 Chronicles 9:1. She wanted to visit Solomon and see him and hear him for herself, 1 Kings 10:1.
She comes to Solomon with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones, she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind, 1 Kings 10:2 / 2 Chronicles 9:1 / 1 Kings 10:10.
After answering all of the queen’s questions, 1 Kings 10:3 / 2 Chronicles 9:2 / Judges 14:12 / Judges 14:14, and seeing Solomon’s great wealth, she was overwhelmed, 1 Kings 10:4-5 / 2 Chronicles 9:3-4 / 1 Kings 4:22-23.
She had heard all the reports about Solomon, and she says that ‘not even half was told me in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard’, 1 Kings 10:6-7 / 2 Chronicles 9:5-6 / 1 Kings 8:63 / 1 Kings 9:25.
In other words, she now knows that Solomon’s reputation wasn’t exaggerated. Solomon never asked God for wealth or fame, but because he only asked God for wisdom, God blessed him with wisdom, wealth, and fame, and rightly so, God was given the credit for blessing Solomon with these, 1 Kings 3:10-13.
The queen knows that everyone is happy with Solomon’s wisdom, 1 Kings 10:8 / 2 Chronicles 9:7, and was well aware that it was God who had given Solomon everything he had, and so, she gives praise to God for everything He has done for Solomon, including making him king of Israel, 1 Kings 10:9 / 2 Chronicles 9:8.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This acknowledgement of Yahweh falls below the confessions of Hiram, 2 Chronicles 2:12, and Cyrus, Ezra 1:3. It does not imply more than an admission of His power as a local deity, namely, that He is the God of the Jews and of their country.’
She blessed Solomon and gave him gifts of gold, precious stones, and many spices, 1 Kings 10:10 / 2 Chronicles 9:9.
As Solomon received a gift from the Queen of Sheba, Hiram’s ships brought even more wealth to Solomon, 1 Kings 10:11-12 / 2 Chronicles 9:10-11, and so, Solomon gave the queen some gifts in return and everything she desired and asked for, 1 Kings 10:13 / 2 Chronicles 9:12.
As Solomon was in full control of all the major trade routes, it’s possible that the queen wanted some kind of trade route privileges in order to trade with the surrounding nations.
It appears that Solomon’s taxation brought him even more gold and wealth, 1 Kings 10:14-15 / 2 Chronicles 9:13-14, and make no mistake about it, this is a huge sum of money, 2 Chronicles 1:14-17 / 2 Chronicles 9:13-28.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This would amount in our money to £4,683,675 12s. 8 1/2d. sterling. This seems to be what he got annually of bullion, but independently of this, he had tribute of all the kings of Arabia, duties from merchantmen, and the traffic of spice merchants, 1 Kings 10:25.’
The gold shields, 1 Kings 10:16 / 2 Chronicles 9:15, the bodyguards used came in two sizes, 1 Kings 14:27-28 / 2 Chronicles 9:15-16 / 2 Chronicles 12:10. The larger ones which were used for full-body protection cost six-hundred shekels of gold, that is fifteen pounds, 1 Kings 10:16 / 2 Chronicles 9:15, and the smaller ones, which were used for close-up combat, cost three minas of gold, that is seven and a half pounds, 1 Kings 10:17 / 2 Chronicles 9:16.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘These shields, together with the 500 taken by David from Hadadezer, 2 Samuel 8:7, were hung round the outer walls of a building, reckoned as belonging to the ‘house of the Forest of Lebanon,’ but separate from it, and called sometimes ‘the Tower of David’, Song of Songs 4:4, or from its use ‘the armoury’, Song of Songs 4:4 / Isaiah 22:8. The practice of hanging shields outside walls for ornamentation seems to have existed at Tyre, Ezekiel 27:10-11, Rome, Athens, and elsewhere. Traces of it are thought to be found in the Assyrian sculptures.’
Solomon places them in the ‘Palace of the Forest of Lebanon,’ 1 Kings 10:17 / 2 Chronicles 9:16, which is possibly a reference to the temple, 1 Kings 5:6-8. Because Solomon had a great throne made which was covered in ivory, 1 Kings 10:18 / 2 Chronicles 9:17, this tells us that he was trading with those in Africa who were slaughtering elephants for their ivory tusks.
Notice also that this great throne he made for himself was made of gold and ivory, but it was also decorated with lion figures, 1 Kings 10:19-20 / 2 Chronicles 9:18-19. The images of the lions that decorated Solomon’s throne were made in violation of God’s commands, Exodus 20:4.
Josephus, in his writings, says the following.
‘The seat was supported by a golden ox or bull, with its head turned over its shoulder. As the lion was especially emblematic of Judah, so was the ox or bull of Ephraim, Hosea 4:16 / Hosea 10:11 / Jeremiah 31:18.’
Solomon’s wealth is seen in these verses, and it appears that because there was so much gold, the price of silver must have been very cheap and of little value, 1 Kings 10:21 / 2 Chronicles 9:20. Although silver was worth very little at this time, it was still being used widely, especially in Jerusalem.
The king had a fleet of ‘trading ships’, 1 Kings 10:22 / 2 Chronicles 9:21, but some translations use the words ‘ships of Tarshish’. The actual Hebrew word for Tarshish means ‘refinery’.
This means that Tarshish isn’t the location but the process of refining metals, 1 Kings 9:26-28. In other words, these trading ships carried refined metals, which are precious metals.
As Solomon’s reputation for wisdom grows throughout the land, so does his wealth, 1 Kings 10:23 / 2 Chronicles 9:22. Solomon had become so wealthy that he had more wealth than any other king who was living at the time.
The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart, 1 Kings 10:24 / 2 Chronicles 9:23. Solomon not only acquired a lot of gold but he also acquired a great number of horses and chariots, 1 Kings 10:25-26 / 2 Chronicles 9:24-26 / 1 Kings 4:26 / 1 Kings 9:19.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Until the time of Solomon, war-chariots had not been in use among the Jews, except to a very small extent, 1 Chronicles 18:4. Hence, it was necessary for him to put himself on an equality in this respect with neighbouring powers.’
It appears that once again Solomon forgot about God and His commandments because this accumulation of gold, horses and chariots was a complete violation of God’s commands, Deuteronomy 17:16-17. Although silver was worth very little at this time, 1 Kings 10:27 / 2 Chronicles 9:27, it was still being used widely, especially in Jerusalem.
He also made the cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills, 1 Kings 10:27 / 1 Chronicles 27:28. Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt, 2 Chronicles 9:28, and from Kue.
The royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price, 1 Kings 10:28. Through the king’s traders, the horses were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria, 1 Kings 10:29 / 2 Kings 7:6.